


Disguises and Dreams

by Remyroo17



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, implied harry/draco bc i wrote this 2-3 years ago when i shipped it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 09:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3351815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remyroo17/pseuds/Remyroo17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bellatrix turns to good and hides from Voldemort in Hogwarts. She shares dreams every so often with one particular Gryffindor student. What will come of it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse any mistakes for now - I have 9 chapters to post from ff.net and I don't know how to import, so I'm just copying and pasting and I'll return at a later date to spruce them up.

There were three sharp knocks on Minerva's front door. She had been hoping hot to have any distractions this summer, but alas, school was nearly back in session and she had a visitor.

She opened the door to her muggle home just a crack, as it was raining cats and dogs – usual for Scotland. Standing huddled in the doorway was a short woman, wearing a hooded rain coat that completely obscured the wearer's face.

"May I help you..? You're not one of those Jehovah's Witnesses, are you?" Minerva asked impatiently.

"Minerva, please, I need your help." The words came quietly from under the hood, drowned out by the rain, but there was no mistaking the voice beneath.

"And why should I help you, Bellatrix?" Minerva scolded.

"Please, Professor," Bellatrix pleaded. "You were my favourite teacher, I was your favourite student and I need your help, even if it's just listening to what I've got to say." As she said this, she pulled her hood down.

Minerva hesitated for a moment, before opening her door further. She simply couldn't leave a woman who'd been one of her best students out in the pouring rain.

Bellatrix was invited into the living room and given tea. She uttered a 'thank you' after gulping it down gratefully.

"So, Bella, why are you here? What do you need my help with?" The old professor sipped at her tea.

"Professor McGonnagall, you need to believe me when I say that I've changed." At the disbelieving look she was given, she continued. "I had a revelation last week. It was a dream about someone I met less than a year ago. I've been trying not to let it bother me, but I'm positive that My Lord has caught on that something is different about me." Minerva inclined her head, gesturing for her to go on. "The truth of it is, I'm unhappy. I don't like – no – I hate what I've done with my life. In this dream, I was so… happy. It was the happiest feeling I've ever had. I want to feel like that again, Minerva, just not while I'm asleep."

There were a few moments of silence before Minerva placed her tea onto the small table in front of her. "Are you saying you'd like to join the side of the good, Mrs Lestrange?" Bella looked down at her feet and nodded shyly. "Then I believe there's something we can do about that." She stood and walked over to her fireplace, throwing a pinch of Floo powder into the flames and crouching down. "Albus?"

The bearded professor's face appeared in the green flames. "Yes, Minerva?"

"There's someone you need to talk to, may we join you in your office?"

"Why of course."

Once again, a glorious summer had been spent at the Weasley family household: The Burrow. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting around a floating, fiery newspaper.

They were all lost in their own thoughts until Hermione spoke.

"I had a funny dream last week."

"What happened?" Harry asked, having a penchant for funny dreams.

Hermione was unsure why she had even blurted that out, this wasn't a topic she'd like to enter with the boys. No backing out now, she thought.

"Well… uh, it was about… Bellatrix." She blushed.

"Bellatrix bloody Lestrange? What was that evil bitch doing inside your head?" Ron's anger made the paper glow a little bit brighter.

"See this is why it was weird… We were married-"

"MARRIED?" Ron shouted, shocked.

"-And I'd just had a baby boy-"

"YOU HAD A BABY?" Ron shouted again.

"-And the war was over, and we were really happy. Our son was named Sebastian Black."

At that moment, Mrs Weasley burst in. "When did Hermione have a baby?"

"No, Molly, it's okay. It was a dream. Ronald is just overreacting." Mrs Weasley nodded slowly and left the room.

"We were really, really happy. I don't think I'd ever felt happier in my life."

Harry spoke now. "Well it was just a dream, right? That doesn't mean anything."

Hermione nodded, "Yeah." Twiddling her wand anxiously, she added. "Just a dream."

"Dinner's ready!" They heart Molly call from downstairs. Hermione was grateful for the break in the awkward silence.

Bellatrix was sitting in a chair in Dumbledore's Hogwats office, both the Headmaster and his Deputy in front of her, staring down at her.

"Albus, how do you know she's telling the truth?"

He picked up a small vial of clear liquid and handed it to Bellatrix. "Mrs Lestrange, if you would please drink this?" She nodded and downed the small dose of Veritaserum.

They watched as her eyes slowly glazed over with a small layer or white, showing that the potion was working.

"Mrs Lestrange, do you honestly speak refuge in the side of the light?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

Dumbledore and McGonnagall both pulled up chairs. "Would you care to tell us what was in the dream that changed you."

Bella opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. "It's personal, Headmaster. I do not wish to share it."

Dumbledore easily delved into her mind and caught a few glimpses of her dream before she pushed him out. "Please sir, respect my privacy."

"I'm sorry, Bellatrix. I just have one more question for you." She nodded. "How happy did the dream make you?"

"Absolutely ecstatic, sir. There are no words in this world to explain my joy."

As Bella's eyes began to regain their normal state, Albus turned to his deputy head. "I believe her, Minerva. Her dream, I shall not disclose it to you, but just the subject of it shows that she's different."

"So you'll help m-" Bellatrix clutched her left arm, letting out a cry of pain. "It's the Dark Lord. He's angry. What do I do?"

"Stay. Try as hard as you can to stay here. You don't have to go to him anymore. He no longer has to be your Lord and Master."

Bellatrix's hand was still clutching at the fabric over her left arm, but made no movement to pull her sleeve up.

The pain grew more and more intense, and Bella writhed in her chair, her face contorted into an expression of pure pain. This was worse than any Cruciatus Curse her Lord had enacted onto her.

And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished, and she was left gasping for breath. Bellatrix looked over to where Dumbledore was picking up a Lemon Drop, her eyes filled with confusion. "He stopped. He just stopped. I don't understand."

"We will keep you safe, Bellatrix. School begins tomorrow, and I'd like you to help Minerva bring a few things in this evening, and then we shall transfigure some of your features, to keep you hidden."

"Thank you, sir."

"How would you feel about becoming our new Potions Master?"

Bellatrix was in shock. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Draco could recognise me."

"Mrs Lestrange, I am confident enough in Minerva's transfiguration abilities for you to not resemble yourself at all. If you would be so kind as to assist Minerva this evening, by the time you get back I will have had a bedchamber prepared for you."

"Of course, sir. Thank you again." She pulled him into a short but sweet hug, before stepping into the Floo after Minerva.

Harry awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione said, looking up from her book.

"Voldemort is angry. And I mean really angry. I've never seen him so mad."

"He probably just remembered that he's going to lose to you soon." She gave Harry a reassuring smile, which he returned.

"Try and sleep again, Harry. We're off back to Hogwarts in the morning."

"You should sleep too, Hermione."

"I'm just finishing this chapter." She smiled at him as he rolled over to face away from her. She put her book down and laid her head on the thick pillow. Let me dream of Bellatrix she thought.

The next evening, the Sorting went along without a hitch, and Dumbledore stood to address the whole school.

"Good evening students. I trust you have all had excellent summers, and are eager to begin your learning for this year. This year, there has been a slight change in your subject teachers. This year, Professor Snape will be taking over Defence Against the Dark Arts-" All students but the first years groaned. "And we have a new teacher for our Potions Master this year. I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to Professor Violet Mills." He gestured with his left arm, and a beautiful woman sitting at the end of the table stood up, waving nervously at the students.

Hermione looked up and find that she could not look away. The woman was strikingly beautiful. She had long, black wavy hair, and as she turned her head, Hermione saw that it was tied loosely with a purple ribbon. Her robes were black and deep purple and fitted her petite but curvy body perfectly. The teacher caught Hermione's eye and both women blushed a little before both looking away. I'm sure I know her from somewhere… Hermione thought, before suddenly being distracted by a large feast appearing on the table in front of her.

Everyone retreated to their dorms early that evening. Hermione found that she couldn't concentrate on her book with the party going on around her. She secluded herself to the library. A few minutes after getting settled, she found herself distracted again. This time not by food or ruckus, but by the beautiful new teacher who had just entered the library. She tried to focus on her book as the woman walked towards her and took a seat next to her.

"I heard there's a party going on in Gryffindor Tower. What are you doing in the library?" Her voice was deep and raspy, a quality Hermione found especially sexy.

She flapped her book a little to explain. "I'm not really the party type."

Violet looked down at the book in Hermione's dainty hands. "What are you reading?"

"The Great Gatsby, a muggle book."

"Oh, I've read that!"

"You have?"

"Yes! Violet leaned in to read over Hermione's shoulder. "What part are you at?" Hermione inadvertently breathed in the scent of the older woman. It was dark, earthy, with a hint of cinnamon. It suited her perfectly. "Oh, you're going to love this book." She pulled away and Hermione missed the closeness.

"So, what are you, a teacher, doing in the library so late at night? You should have all your lessons planned by now."

Violet shrugged. "I missed it, I suppose. I remember sitting in here for hours on end when I was a young girl, reading up on anything and everything. All of my free time was spent in this library, as no one wanted my friendship. If there are no new books, I've probably read every book in this library." Hermione smiled. That was something she respected. "I was the nerdy girl who read all the time and got better grade than everyone else. Well, except one girl."

"Who was the one girl?" Hermione had closed her book now.

"A Miss Lily Evans, as I recall." A look of regret flashed across her face, but Violet pulled it back before Hermione had time to process it.

"You knew Lily?" Hermione asked in shock.

"I wouldn't say 'knew' really. We had an unspoken competition of grades between us, but there was definitely mutual respect for one another's academic success."

"I'm sorry, I've been terribly rude." Hermione held her hand out. "Hermione Granger."

The teacher smiled. "Violet Mills."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning at breakfast, Professor McGonnagall came around the Gryffindor table, handing out time tables for the year ahead. She handed Harry, Ron and Hermione their slips, before walking away, muttering "It wouldn't bloody kill them to put these in with the shopping lists every summer."

Harry handed the time tables out, and Hermione smiled at hers as she saw that they had Potions first, albeit with the Slytherins.

She glanced down the table and noticed a group of first years – some happy, some sad – muttering about having Defence with Snape first. She looked up to the Head table and found Miss Mills looking at her. She smiled and looked away.

Unfortunately for the pair, this short exchange had not gone unnoticed by Dumbledore. Of course he'd already been into Bellatrix's mind, 'But…' He thought, as Hermione looked down into her cereal, 'I might just check up on Miss Granger's thoughts.'

Hermione's head shot up and she began to look around the room, searching for whoever had invaded her mental privacy. Unable to find anyone who looked guilty, she gave up, and stole a glance at a now concerned-looking Professor Mills. She shrugged at her. When she looked away, Violet began scanning the room for the intruder. 'Well it wasn't a student…' She thought. Trained under Voldemort, she was easily the best Legillimens in the school, and she demonstrated so by quickly poking her nose into the minds of each of the other professors. 'Tsk tsk, Albus.'

Her left arm suddenly stiffened and her fork clattered to the floor. Half the students glanced up, and she quickly reached down to retrieve it, trying desperately not to show any pain on her face. At the other end of the table, Severus' arm also began to throb with pain. He had been informed of the situation with Bellatrix – or should he say, Miss Mills – and quickly excused himself from the table.

Hermione was still looking up at Miss Mills, seeing a familiar expression of hidden agony – usually found on Harry when his scar was throbbing particularly painfully – in the face of the Potions Master. Suddenly, the teacher clutched at her left arm, eyes scrunching in pain. She shook her head. 'No. She can't be…' She heard a gasp of pain closer to her, and turned to Harry to see his hands on his forehead.

_"Where is she?"_

_Snape was kneeling in front of Voldemort's throne._

_"My Lord, I do not know."_

_"Are you lying to me, boy?" Voldemort lifted his wand, ready to strike._

_"No, my Lord. I do not know where Bellatrix is."_

_"Crucio." Voldemort took the opportunity of Severus' cries of pain to delve into his mind. He found absolutely nothing of interest._

_He halted the curse. "You may part from us, Severus. However do not, for one second, think that I shall not be checking up on you."_

Harry sat back up, rubbing his forehead.

"Harry, what did you see?" Hermione asked, handing him a cup of pumpkin juice.

"Bellatrix has gone missing, I think. Snape was telling Voldemort that he didn't know where she was, and then he tortured Snape with Crucio…" At that moment, the door to the side of the head table opened. Snape walking in, looking slightly sweaty, and sat back down in his seat. Hermione looked over to Miss Mills and saw her eyeing Harry with slight suspicion.

"Miss Mills?" Hermione called the professor over from the other side of the room.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" She glanced into the cauldron in front of her student.

"I think I've gone wrong somewhere. He potion hasn't turned the correct colour now that I'm done…"

Miss Mills took out her wand and waved it over the cauldron, her eyes widening slightly in confusion. She muttered "Now how've you managed that?"

"Managed what? How come it's lavender and not orange?"

The next few minutes were spent with Miss Mills reading out the instructions to Hermione. All was well until they reached the very final two instructions. "Add six sprigs of lavender," She read aloud, "And stir thrice anti-clockwise."

Hermione's eyes widened. "I think I added four and stirred twice clockwise…"

"I see, and you didn't do anything else after that?"

"No, I just called you over when it turned lilac instead of the sunset orange the book describes. What have I made?"

By this point, most of the class had turned from their work to watch, some of the Slytherins even laughing quietly as little Miss Know-It-All must've gone so terribly wrong.

"That's just the thing, Miss Granger, I'm not entirely sure. This is as brand new to me as a TV was to Barnabus Collins." Hermione smiled slightly at the reference, whereas most other students looked confused. "Dra- Mr Malfoy, if you would care to fetch Professor Snape for me." Miss Mills said, casting a few more spells on the purple potion before dropping a leaf in. She watched it as it bobbed up and down, moved around the surface of the liquid frantically and then sank. "Class dismissed. Mr Potter, if you could stay behind for a moment, I need to speak with you."

The class left and Hermione and Ron waited outside the classroom for Harry.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" He said as she sat down behind her desk.

"This morning, at breakfast your scar began to hurt, and I know that you saw something. I'd like to know what it was."

"I don't mean to be rude but, why, Professor?"

"Mr Potter, I know of a potion that would allow you to send visions to You-Know-Who's mind. You'd be able to trick him out into the open, in much the same way as he did to you in the Department of Mysteries with Sirius a few months ago." Harry lost focus for a moment, obviously thinking about vengeful ways to enact revenge. She snapped her fingers in front of him. "I'd be quite willing to brew you some, in return for you informing me of the content of any and all visions and dreams concerning You-Know-Who."

Harry nodded and quickly relayed the events of the vision to her.

"I'll get started on the potion at the end of school today. Ah, Severus!"

"You wished to see me about a potion, Miss Mills?"

Harry left the room unnoticed.

"A certain Miss Granger seems to have brewed a brand new potion. She went wrong at the very end and created this." She stood and walked over to where the cauldron still stood. "I've no idea what its contents could do."

"Very well, I'll take it up to my office. If I find myself none the wiser than you, it shall have to go to Albus." He took out his wand and magicked the potion in question away, presumably up to his office. He left just as the Professor's first years walked in.

Hermione found herself in the library once lessons were over, avoiding the dormitory ruckus for the second time.

"Well, well, well…" A voice interrupted her reading. "Look who we have here." Her head shot up at the familiar words and she was relieved to find that it was only Miss Mills again.

"Good afternoon, Professor. Shouldn't you be brewing a potion for Harry?"

The teacher shrugged and gave a dismissive flick of her wrist as she took the seat next to Hermione. "Already brewed, I just need to let it settle for a few hours and then add one more ingredient. Shouldn't you be up in the tower or by the lake? It's a lovely day."

Hermione shrugged and gave a dismissive flick of her wrist. "I prefer reading over partying any day."

"Even if it were your birthday?"

Hermione laughed a little. "If they buy me books, I'll think about partying with them."

The teacher laughed too. "Done with The Great Gatsby yet?"

Hermione nodded. "Finished it at lunch. I've moved on to Thirteen Reasons Why now. Another Muggle book."

"Wait till you get to the end! Oh, I cried."

"Don't tell me you've read this too!"

Violet nodded. "I used to have an insane amount of free time. That book is definitely one of my favourites. Once you've read that, you should read The Perks of Being a Wallflower if you haven't already."

"I have that lined up actually!"

"I related to the end so very much. Oh, I shouldn't have said that…"

"Let's come off books for a minute, I want to know what house you were sorted into."

Violet smiled. "Well actually, I was a hat-stall. I sat there for about five minutes while the hat reasoned between Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

"Slytherin? But… You seem so kind. You were sorted into Ravenclaw, I assume?"

The teacher shook her head sadly. "Slytherin."

"That doesn't make sense, you're lovely."

"Hermione, believe me when I tell you that I used to be a different woman. I was absolutely evil."

"What changed you?"

"A series of hopes and dreams, many of which I plan on living out one day."

"May I ask what they were?"

"The main two that I hope for are to marry a beautiful woman – whom I barely know at this point, I just know that she's the one – and to have a beautiful baby with that woman." The teacher smiled to herself.

"Ooh! And who might that woman be?"

"Now now, Granger, spoilers!"

"Don't tell me you watch that!"

"Like I said, lots of free time!" They laughed a little. "So, do you have a boyfriend… or girlfriend?"

"No. I like someone, but she's completely out of my league…" Hermione started to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. "I know that Ronald has feelings for me, and has done for years but… I'm just not attracted to boys. The thought of them makes me feel a bit sick, to be honest."

The pair laughed and gossiped about their lives until Madam Pince informed them that dinner was just about to start.

They entered the great hall still laughing together, and were given several strange looks from both students faculty. As they passed the Gryffindor table, Hermione took a seat next to Harry and Violet continued making her way to the Head table.

Dumbledore stood to say something and the hall quietened down. "Before we begin, I would like for a round of applause to be given to our Gryffindor sixth-year, Hermione Granger, as she has created a brand new potion. Professors Snape, Mills and I do not yet know the full effects of it, but what we do know is that it is nothing we have ever seen before."

As he sat down, three and a quarter tables of students clapped and cheered. The Slytherins obviously weren't interested in the big discovery.

Hermione blushed slightly, knowing that almost all eyes were on her.

Dumbledore was in the middle of his dinner when he decided he would try Hermione's mind again. He easily and quickly sought out the information he was looking for, and drew out as soon as he had found it.

He was unable to finish his food. The images of the dream he'd seen in Bellatrix's mind a week prior matched perfectly the images of a dream Hermione had had at the same time.

_"Mummy Mione?" The little four year old said sweetly._

_"Yes, Sebastian?" Hermione turned from doing the dishes to look down at her son._

_"Can I have a cookie for dessert?"_

_"Of course, sweetie, why don't you ask mummy to get it, I'm a little busy." She turned back to the dishes and heard the patter of feet move from the kitchen into the front room._

_Slightly muffled, she heard her sons voice. "Mummy Trixie, will you reach me a cookie from the cupboard? Mummy Mione said she's busy." She heard the boy's laughter and knew that he'd been picked up._

_Bellatrix walked into the kitchen and opened a cupboard, lifting her son up so that he could grab the biscuit for himself. She set him down gently on the floor and ruffled his hair. "Your favourite show has just come on, why don't you go watch it?"_

_He nodded and she smiled fondly at him as he ran off, before walking over to her young wife and wrapping her arms around her from behind, resting her chin on Hermione's shoulder._

_"Dinner was gorgeous, sweetie, will make that again soon?"_

_"Of course, anything for you." Hermione dried her hands and turned around in her wife's arms, wrapping her own around Bellatrix's neck. She leant her forehead against the others and the older woman jutted her chin out. Their lips were mere millimetres from one anothers._


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. She looked out of the window and saw that dawn had only just broken. She sighed and reached for her book. 'Surely I can't actually be attracted to Bellatrix Lestrange?' She asked herself. 'I've only met the woman once and she was basically trying to kill me!'

Bellatrix awoke, smiling to herself; another wonderful dream. She'd been so close to knowing the feel and taste of the girl's lips. 'Maybe if I dream of her again, I'll find out…' She hoped. Glancing out of the window, she saw that the sun had only just risen. 'Better get up and get my face on…' Bellatrix got out of bed, spent a generous amount of time in a hot bath and then dressed. She stood in front of her mirror and had just finished transfiguring her face into Miss Violet Mills when an elf knocked on the door to her chambers and called that breakfast was beginning.

As she walked past the Gryffindor table, she spotted Hermione with her cheek resting on her palm, pushing an egg around her plate with her fork.

She took her seat at the table, and pulled out a Muggle fountain pen that she carried at all times, scribbling a note onto a paper napkin. She folded it into a swan, wrote 'Open me' on the wing, and then dropped it by her foot. It disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, reappearing a moment later on the plate in front of Hermione.

Hermione was shocked out of her thoughts as a paper swan appeared on her plate. She looked around in confusion and prodded it with her fork, trying to determine if the origami was dangerous.

After concluding that it was safe, she set her cutlery down and unfolded it, reading the note scribbled on the inside.

'See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!

Why so glum, chum?'

It wasn't signed, and again she looked around for the culprit. She noticed Miss Mills at the Head table, her cheek leaning on her hand, pushing something around her plate but smiling to herself, obviously mimicking Hermione's earlier actions.

She took out a fountain pen and scribbled, folding it back up into a swan as best she could and placing it back on her plate. It poofed away through purple smoke.

The note reappeared on Violet's lap, and she quickly unfolded it to see the reply.

'Had a strange dream last night and woke at the crack of dawn, couldn't fall asleep again. Tired. Second dream in what will probably be a series.'

Violet frowned at the note.

'Tell me about it later?' She wrote. The swan went back to Hermione and the student looked up to her, giving a subtle nod.

Violet picked up another napkin and skilfully twisted and tore it into a Hermione Peony flower, sending it back through the same purple smoke.

Hermione blushed as the flower appeared on the table next to her plate.

This exchanging of notes once again did not go amiss by the 150+ Professor that was Albus Dumbledore, nor was it missed by Minerva McGonagall.

"Albus…" She whispered as she leant over to him.

"I know, Minerva."

"Whatever should we do?"

"We wait, and see what happens."

Before lunch, the trio had Potions. They were the last through the door and Miss Mills was making sure everyone was seated and quiet.

Once the lesson was over, Professor Mills started the clearing the chalkboard and called over her shoulder: "Miss Granger, if you could wait a moment? It's about your potion." She sat down behind her desk and waited for Hermione to reach her desk. "So far, we've discovered that adding a sprig of Mistletoe turns it into a love potion, and that a drop of Unicorn blood makes it spontaneously combust in Severus' face. We haven't got anything else, but we're still running more tests."

Hermione nodded, laughing slightly at the thought of the lilac potion dripping off of Snape's face. "Is it a new love potion?"

"Yes. We think it could even be stronger than Amortentia."

"Oh… I must've really screwed up big time."

The teacher smiled. "Believe me, it's no screw up. It's actually very impressive. It's almost as though you were cooking, took any ingredient you came across, and came up with a delicious dish!"

The student nodded again. "Will you meet me in the Library later? I can tell you about that weird dream." She watched as the teacher smiled and nodded. "Oh and, I finished Perks. I understand what you meant about the ending." Miss Mills looked down sadly. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course." She replied, as she stood ready to go to lunch.

Later that day, Violet joined Hermione in the library just moments after the student had gotten settled.

She sat down next to the younger girl with a smile, the pair already easily comfortable in each other's company.

"So, going to tell me about this dream of yours?"

Hermione nodded and turned her whole body to face the Potions Master. "I assume you've heard of Bellatrix Lestrange?" At the terse nod, Hermione repeated the events of the dream to the teacher. "And then she leaned in to kiss me and that's when I woke up. Just before the kiss."

The teacher's eyes were slightly wide, but the student just assumed that it was because she was dreaming of being married to a notorious criminal.

"Interesting…" Violet mused for a moment. "Now that you're awake, do you find yourself wanting to ki- to live that life with her?"

Hermione sat back and thought for a moment. "I don't know, really. I can see myself wanting that life, but I don't about with her…" The teacher frowned a little at the slightly disgusted tone. "Although, if it were to turn out that she's capable of being as nice and sweet as she is in these dreams, then yes, I can see it. It's rather desirable."

"Why don't you just see how your dreams progress? There's always the Dreamless sleep potion, if you don't want to see them anymore."

Hermione nodded, ready to change topic. "I finished the book, by the way. Once I'd closed it I cried for about a quarter of an hour."

Violet looked worried. "Why?"

"You said you could relate to the ending…"

The teacher leaned over and pulled Hermione into a hug after seeing her eyes become watery. "I'm alright now. I got over it and it made me stronger. I got over it and he didn't win."

Hermione stayed clutched to the older woman for a second or two longer than what was probably acceptable for a teacher and her student.

At an odd look from the librarian, Hermione pulled out of the hug and wiped her eyes, looking down at her watch. "Oh, wow. Dinner already."

Violet shrugged. "Time flies." They stood, and started making their way to the Great Hall. "Just a quick heads up, we're making Amortentia on Friday."

Hermione smiled as they walked through the Great Hall doors.

Hermione sat down opposite Harry and Ron, and they gave her strange looks. Harry spoke up first.

"Hermione, you and Miss Mills always seem to show up to dinner together. And we saw that you two were passing notes this morning."

"And? We talk in the library before dinner." She shrugged. "She's kind of my friend. I'm allowed to have friends outside of you guys, you know."

Harry sighed. "It's just that, she sent a note this morning and you blushed. You're doing it now!"

"We're not flirting, if that's what you think. I wouldn't flirt with a teacher."

"You had no trouble fawning over Lockhart." Ron mumbled into his food. Hermione gave him a look that told him not to go there again.

Harry chanced a short look up to the subject of their conversation, and then looked back to Hermione. "She's even looking at you right now." Hermione looked up and blushed. "There it is again! Hermione, I'm not saying you're flirting, but you two seem very… fond of each other."

"Look, we're just friends. Like I said, I wouldn't flirt with a teacher." As Ron opened his mouth to talk, she kicked him under the table.

"Ow." He went back to his food but looked down the table, smiling at a girl who blushed as he looked at her. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"We're making Amortentia on Friday. I suggest you read up on it. Oh, and McGonagall said we've got a mandatory Divination lesson tomorrow afternoon. They're trying to get students into it again." Hermione put her cutlery neatly on her plate, stood, and left.

As promised, there was a Divination lesson on Thursday afternoon. Hermione was sitting with Ron and Harry.

"Our first activity today will be reading tea leaves." Trelawney drawled.

Ron let his leaves settle and then looked into the cup. Looking between the cup and his book, he identified them all, along with their meanings, and scrawled the information out on his parchment.

bull – blindly rushing into a situation  
lion – influential friends  
loop – avoid impulsive actions  
pig – greed  
spider – reward for work

Hermione glanced over. "Hm. The most accurate thing there is the pig." Her and Harry laughed a little.

"How is a spider a reward?" Ron muttered as he turned his cup upside down on the saucer, not bearing to look at the shape even in tea leaves. "Harry, what have you got?"

Harry pushed his parchment into the middle of the table.

Ape – secret enemy  
Tent – travel  
Triangle, upside down – negative situation for three people  
Bull – blindly rushing into a situation  
Urn – something done in memory of a loved one

"I'm worried about that triangle…" Hermione laughed. "Okay, I've got… a lot."

Dove – Happiness, assurance of faithfulness in love  
Fan – Flirtation  
Harp – Love, harmony  
Necklace – Admirers  
Swan – News of love and romance  
Parasol – New lover

Professor Trelawney came over to them and read Hermione's parchment. "Everything here is about love… You're surely going to find love before the year is up. And with a woman, no less."

"Sorry, what? A woman? But-"

"Oh yes, Miss Granger. The Swan and the Dove together tell that your new love will be with a female. Congratulations." The teacher swept away to another table and Hermione was left silent and confused. Harry looked like he was about to bring up yesterday's conversation, but Hermione shot him a look that told him quite severely not to.

_Hermione awoke to soft kisses trailing down her neck. "It's time to wake up, Mione." She felt her wife's body against her back and an arm slip around her waist._

_"Mmm… What's the special occasion? I can smell bacon…"_

_"The occasion is your birthday, and that's because I made you breakfast in bed."_

_Hermione opened her eyes to a plate on her bedside table, a glass of orange juice next to it. She turned around in Bella's arms. "What on earth did I do to deserve you?"_

_Bellatrix placed a soft kiss on Hermione's forehead. "Everything."_


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione woke up to the insanely annoying noise of her mechanical alarm clock. She groaned and reached an arm out to swat the 'off' button, and managed to knock it to the floor, where the button was pressed for her by a luckily placed wonky floorboard. She sighed as the clock finished it's last ring, and heard four other sighs from the other girls in the room.  _'I really should rethink my waking up process'_  she thought, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.  _'I_ could _have a beeping alarm if electricity worked in Hogwarts,'_

She pulled a small journal from under her pillow and quickly wrote down the contents of her dream

* * *

Bellatrix awoke with a gentle sigh. Oh, how she loved these dreams. She sat up for a moment, thinking about the dream Hermione had told her about, and how she'd had the same dream at the same time, even both waking at dawn.  _'Would she have shared that one too?'_

* * *

Hermione added the final ingredient to her potion, gave it the final anti-clockwise stir, and turned the heat off.

Neville's cauldron had long since melted, around the same time as Ronald's did. Harry's potion had turned a sickly yellow colour not five minutes before. Miss Mills was running around the classroom trying to fix everyone else's potions.

Hermione leant forward and inhaled deeply, smelling fresh parchment, old books, and… Cinnamon? She stood back up, slightly confused.  _'Where have I smelt that…?'_

The Professor came over and inhaled, smelling her three favourite things: Mint, blood and fresh parchment.

"Wonderful, Miss Granger! Far better than the last potion." They both laughed a little. "Why don't you bottle them up and then clear up. If you finish before everyone else, you can leave early."

The teacher cleaned up Harry's mess of a potion and Ron and Neville's messes of cauldrons before making her way to her desk as Hermione left. "Okay, class, if you'd please bottle up your potions, clear away your equipment and leave your phials on my desk."

All through lunch, Hermione couldn't get the scent of her Amortentia potion to leave her nose.

' _Cinnamon? I don't know anyone who smells like cinnamon… Do I? I don't usually even like cinnamon…'_

"What's got you so deep in thought?" Ginny piped up from Hermione's left.

Hermione shook her head as she was pulled out of her own little world. "Oh, nothing, just lessons. What was really bothering her mind was the combination of the Amortentia and her tea leaf predictions from the day before. Hermione didn't believe in predictions of the future, but something about those tea leaves just seemed right, accurate.

* * *

Ron stood in the middle of the near-empty Gryffindor common room, facing the girl he liked. "So, what d'you say? Will you be my girlfriend?" Ron asked sheepishly.

She smiled and nodded, jumping at the ginger boy and pulling him straight in for a kiss. "Of course I will." Romilda said, grinning happily at him.

He smiled a little flabberghasted that she'd kissed him. "Great! So, you wanna go down to dinner?"

The pair walked into the Great Hall, holding hands. They took seats opposite Harry and Hermione.

"Harry, Hermione, this is my girlfriend, Romilda Vane." Hermione smiled at the girl, already knowing her from their Defence lessons. She was happy for her friends. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Harry look over Ron's shoulder, searching for someone at the Slytherin table. He smiled and then went back to his food. She didn't bother asking him about it. If she was having dreams about a family life with Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange, she had no place in berating him for liking a Slytherin.

She picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet that must have been left on the table from earlier, the main article reading: 'BELLATRIX LESTRANGE: MISSING.' Underneath the title, it said  _'The Daily Prophet have inside intelligence that notorious Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, has gone missing from the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Civilians are warned to stay safe, as it is said that You-Know-Who is extremely angry at the loss of his best and most talented.'_  She put the paper back in the spot she had picked it up from, wondering to herself if Harry had had any more visions.

It was two weeks before Hermione's next library encounter with the Potions Master. As she strolled into the library, Hermione looked up from her book.

"Hello, stranger. I've not seen you in here for a while."

The teacher took the seat next to her student. "I've been busy with re-planning lessons and other teacherly duties. I'm the one that has to make half the potions for Madame Pomfrey, you know!"

Hermione laughed a little, and the older woman pulled a small rectangular box from a hidden pocket in her skirt. "Happy Birthday."

Hermione's eyes widened and a smile crept across her face. "How on earth did you know it was my birthday?"

"I heard Misters Potter and Weasley wondering about 'what to get Hermione for her birthday party on Friday' and I just thought, we're friends, so I got you a little something."

Hermione took it, blushing, and carefully took the lid off the small box. She gasped as she saw what was inside.

"Professor, you really shouldn't have!"

"Alright, fine then, I'll have it back!" Violet said jokingly.

The sole item in the box was a simple white gold bracelet with red, emerald and black stones embedded sparingly in a simple pattern around the bracelet.

"Professor, really, this looks incredibly expensive!"

"Hermione, really, it's nothing." The teacher looked at her watch. "I've got to go. Happy Birthday again." She smiled.

* * *

"Hermione!" Ginny called as the brunette stepped through the portrait hole, running over to engulf he friend in a hug. "Happy Birthday!"

Hermione hugged the youngest Weasley back. "Thank you!"

Ginny held out a large and heavy wrapped object. "Here's what I got you!"

Hermione took it and opened it eagerly. " _Occlumency for Dummies!_  It's perfect, Ginny, thank you!" She pulled her into another hug.

Harry gestured for Hermione to sit next to him, and she complied, taking his gift as he offered it. Unwrapping it, she smiled widely. "Harry this is brilliant!" Inside was a fantastically fancy quill and ink set, including inks and feathers of different colours.

She hugged Harry from the side and put the gift on top of her book, on a small table.

Ron sat down beside her, handing her a small box similar to the one from Professor Mills. "I hope you like it. Romilda helped me pick it, since I had no idea what to get you.

Hermione took the lid off and picked up the gift. It was a small dark copper book on a long chain, and she could hear ticking. Pressing a button on the top, the book popped open. The left side displayed the date and year,  _'Friday 20_ _th_ _September, 1996'_ , whereas the right side had a small clock face embedded in it. Underneath the clock were two symbols in circles. One was a 'Z', the other an 'X'. The brunette stared at it in awe.

"You can set alarms on it, that's what the symbols are for, snooze and off, and as long as you're wearing it whilst sleeping, it will wake you up without a sound, just by magic." Romilda explained, whilst Ron just smiled.

"It's like you read my mind! I've been looking for something that would wake me up a bit quieter! It's excellent, thank you both." She hugged Ron and then stood to hug Romilda too.

"Hermione, that's a gorgeous bracelet, where'd you get it?" Romilda asked, noticing the jewellery as Hermione pulled out of the hug.

"I got it today, actually, a present from a friend." She smiled. "Isn't it gorgeous?"

This time, Ginny spoke up. "it looks incredibly expensive!"

"I know! She wouldn't tell me how much it cost, and I kept telling her that I simply couldn't accept something so beautiful, but she refused to take it back."

Romilda took Hermione's wrist in her hand and inspected the bracelet more closely. "I've been reading about gemstones. These are real rubies and emeralds, and I think the black stones are Obsidian."

"Aren't they like, really valuable?"

"Yes, Rubies are very rare nowadays, as are Emeralds."

Hermione took her hand back and fiddled with the bracelet. It really was a very expensive gift…

Harry pulled a crate of Butterbeer bottles out from under the sofa. "How about we have a bit of a party?"

"With Butterbeer?" Dean spoke up incredulously. "I think we should have something a little bit stronger." He pulled two bottles of cheap Firewhiskey from behind a chair. "And there's plenty more where that came from."

"Guys! I'm not getting drunk!"

"C'mon, Hermione!" Ron drawled. "It's Friday, you turned seventeen yesterday, and we should celebrate!"

"None of us are even of drinking age!"

It was Ginny's turn to try and persuade the bookworm. "Hermione, we got you a book, writing utensils and a book clock. You  _have_  to party with us.  _Your_  rules."

Hermione sighed, remembering the day she'd made that promise to Ginny, the same day she'd said a similar thing to Miss Mills. "Fine. Hand me a Butterbeeer!"

Everyone cheered and Dean came over to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "You're at least having two shots of Firewhiskey tonight!" She nodded at him, sipping at her Butterbeer.

By the time ginny tucked Hermione into bed that night, the newly-sixteen-year-old had drank far more than two shots of Firewhiskey.

She giggled and played with Ginny's hair as the younger girl pulled the covers over her friend.

"I don't think you should have drank so much, Hermione." Ginny laughed as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey! It's my birthday party!"

"Was! I'll come up in the morning with a hangover cure potion, but for now, go to sleep."

"Wait, Ginny! Wait… Wait…" Hermione wrapped her arms around her young friend, speaking in a stage whisper. "I wanna tell you a secret!"

Ginny leaned in, laughing. "Yes, Hermione?"

"This bracelet, the really expensive one…" At Ginny's blurry nod, Hermione continued. "Professor Mills bought it for me. Shhhh! Don't tell Harry or Ron!"

Hermione's 'words' soon began to turn into mumbles and she fell back, falling asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.

Ginny laughed again and unravelled herself, leaving the room, muttering. "She's going to regret that Firewhiskey in the morning!"


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione opened her eyes and then quickly closed them again, covering her head with her pillow after the harsh sunlight seeped through her eyelids. She had a terrible headache and felt as if someone had repeatedly bashed her in the head with a hammer, and that she had lived to tell the tale. Chancing a glance out from under her pillow, she spotted a small phial of dark green liquid – hangover cure. Wizards really did think of everything. To its right were her mirrored sunglasses. She reached for them, shoving them onto her face and discarding the pillow as she grabbed the phial and downed the contents.  _'Whoever put me to bed last night is a saint.'_

About an hour later, she was sitting at the Gryffindor table – still wearing her sunglasses – for lunch. Her elbow rested on the table and her cheek upon her hand, her eyes opening when she heard a familiar 'poof' in front of her. Sure enough, there was a little note and the purple smoke was just fading.

' _What's up with you?'_

Hermione half-heartedly scrawled back:  _'Hung over.'_

The note poofed away and then back again.

' _Thought you weren't the party type?'_

' _They bought me books.'_

' _No hangover potion?'_

' _It didn't work.'_

The note didn't poof back again after that, Miss Mills assuming that Hermione would like as little noise and as little movement as possible. Her guess was proven correct when Hermione folded her arms loosely on the table, leaning her forehead on them to block out some more light.

Neville took a seat next to her, and she glanced up, wondering who it was.

"Hey, Neville. What's got you down?" She mumbled.

"The newspapers from yesterday and this morning… Bellatrix Black… Missing…"

Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion. "Black? I thought it was Lestrange?"

The tall boy shook his head, handing her that morning's newspaper. "The Ministry was broken into last night. No one knows how, and noting was taken or broken. However, they found Rodolphus Lestrange in one of the offices, in a pool of his own blood. On the table, there was a marriage annulment, signed by both him and Bellatrix, in his blood."

Hermione looked at the newspaper through her dark shades. "That's odd… Going through all the trouble of getting into the Ministry just to end her marriage and then kill her ex-husband?"

That evening, Hermione sought out peace and quiet in the back of the Library. She spotted Miss Mills out of the corner of her eye, walking towards her. She sat down next to her student, making sure to whisper.

"Still hung over?" Hermione merely nodded. "Here." She handed the student a phial. "My own concoction of a hangover cure. Works far better."

Hermione took it and downed the foul-tasting liquid, perking up only a few seconds later. "Oh, that's magnificent. I take it you've been drunk enough times to need a stronger potion?"

The older witch nodded. "I love a glass of red wine in the evenings, but when I get drunk, I get  _drunk_. How was your birthday, overall?"

"It was good." Hermione pulled her sunglasses off, wincing a little as she'd not seen true light all day. "Ron and Romilda got me a magical alarm clock, Harry got me some fancy quills and Ginny bought me a book on learning Occlumency."

Violet scoffed. "You can't learn Occlumency from a book! I'll teach you if you want to learn."

"I thought you had to know Legillimency to teach it's counterpart?"

Miss Mills raised an eyebrow and Hermione heard a voice inside her head.  _'Of course you do.'_

"So you could teach me?"

' _Yes.'_  Hermione smiled.  _'Tuesdays at three?'_  She nodded.  _'There's a second War coming, and you'll no doubt need duelling skills. I'll have to teach you those too.'_

"You're a duellist?"

"Only the best. Thursday's at three in the Room of Requirement?"

Hermione nodded again. "Sounds like fun."

LINE BREAK

Tuesday rolled around all too quickly, and unlike most subjects, Hermione simply couldn't grasp Occlumency on the first few tries.

Violet easily saw her memories of the troll from her first year, finding out about the Basilisk and Chamber of Secrets in her second year, freeing Sirius from the kiss of a Dementor, her short-lived relationship with Victor Krum, and her 'trip' to the Ministry just last academic year.

However, it was the second memory she was most interested in.

"The Chamber of Secrets is real?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Harry and Ron went down there with Lockhart. Ron and Lockhart got trapped, and Harry had to go on alone. He killed the Basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor. It got it's venom into him, but Dumbledore's Phoenix healed him. He saved Ginny's life."

"How much do you want to bed that Mr Potter would take me down there? That room is the stuff of Slytherin legend… Not to mention that the venom, scales and bone marrow of the Basilisk would be extremely useful for potions…"

Hermione excused herself to change for dinner and left Violet to her thoughts.

' _It's real, it's really real… I thought it was just a myth, I didn't even believe Voldemort when he told me he'd been down there…'_

LINE BREAK

Hermione met Miss Mills outside the already-visible doors of the Room of Requirement, following her in and detecting an odd air of pompous confidence.

"Rule one: Always be on your guard." Violet turned quickly on her heel and sent a spell to Hermione, knocking the young woman back forcefully.

"Ow!" Hermione picked herself up and drew her wand. "I thought teachers couldn't harm students!"

"Rule two: Listen, dearie, in this room I am not your teacher, I am not your friend, I am your enemy." She sent another spell at Hermione, this one being easily blocked. "I am the one student you want to beat to a pulp, I am a terrible book that you want to destroy. I want you to imagine I'm someone you truly hate, a Death Eater maybe."

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, imagining the face of the Death eater she hated most… Lucius Malfoy. She quickly sent a spell towards her teacher – no, opponent, which was blocked with an arrogant flick of the wand and roll of the eyes, a spell heading straight for her, not a word uttered. A fiery duel started, Hermione making a mental note that Miss Mills knew a lot of Dark Magic, and duelled with such ease, it was as though it was something she'd done every day of her life.

After a lengthy rally, Hermione was flung across the room by a powerful Levicorpus. The battle was over.

"How do you know Dark Magic?" Hermione asked, brushing herself off.

"That's on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know." The teacher smirked, putting her wand back in its holster and heading towards the doors, Hermione in tow. "I'm surprised you knew how to block it."

"Harry set up a proper Defence Against the Dark arts class last year, in secret. We used this room." Behind her, Hermione heard the doors seal back into stone. "You duel like someone I've been threatened by before, but I can't think who… Just like how I can't think of who or what I know smells of cinnamon."

"Cinnamon?"

"The Amortentia I made. I smelt cinnamon. My mind's not up to scratch lately."

' _I use cinnamon fragrance…'_  Violet thought.

"What do you smell in Amortentia?" Hermione asked curiously as they made their way down to dinner – Hermione hadn't realised the duel had gone on for hours.

Violet hesitated for a moment, before deciding it surely could do no harm. "Mint, fresh parchment and… blood."

"Fresh parchment! I smell that too… Wait… blood?"

The teacher sighed. "I like the smell of blood okay? People like what they like." She quickly tried to change the topic. "So, parchment and cinnamon, what was your third?"

"Old books. But really, blood? As in genuinely, you're not being funny?"

"Genuinely."

Hermione shook off her unease and shrugged. "People like what they like."

LINE BREAK

After dinner in the Gryffindor common room, Ginny sat down next to Hermione.

"How was your first hangover?"

"It was horrendous, I'm never drinking again."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, you will."

"Nope."

"Hermione, I know you. You'll do it again!"

Hermione continued to read her book until Harry and Ron came and sat with her. Harry spoke first.

"Hermione, where've you been going on Tuesdays and Thursdays after three?"

She closed her book and set it in her lap, already anticipating the direction of conversation. "On Tuesdays I've been in Miss Mills' classroom, and on Thursdays we go to the Room of Requirement. Why?"

"I knew it!" Ron said in an angry whisper. "You're having a  _relationship_  with a teacher!"

"For you information,  _Ronald_ , no, I am not. In her office she teaches me Occlumency and in the Room of Requirement we duel, to get my skills up for the impending Second Wizarding War. She's quite the duellist."

"So you're not…  _with_  her?" Harry asked, clarifying.

"Of course not. I wouldn't dare go into something like that with a teacher, and I'm offended that you think I even would!"

"To be fair, Hermione," Ginny piped up. "She  _did_  give you that bracelet for your birthday."

Hermione sent Ginny a death glare, a glare that actually managed to make Ginny cower a little in fear.

"You are kidding me!" Ron said, shocked. "A  _teacher,_ bought you  _that_?"

Hermione shot Ginny another glare and stood up, storming into the girls dorm and slamming the door.

LINE BREAK

" _Happy Anniversary, 'Mione." Bellatrix said, pulling her wife into a hug and then down onto the sofa, handing her a small box._

" _Happy Anniversary to you too, sweetie." Hermione eagerly opened the box, finding a simple white gold bracelet with red, black and emerald stones embedded sparingly and in a simple pattern around the bracelet. "Oh, Bella, it's beautiful, thank you!"_

_Her wife leaned in and kissed her on the cheek as she pulled out her own gift, a long, thin rectangular box._

_Bellatrix opened it and gasped slightly. "It's gorgeous, I love it. I'm going to wear it all the time!"_

_Hermione leant in and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I love you."_

" _I love you too."_


	6. Chapter 6

Halloween rolled around at the same time that Hermione began to match Violet in a duel.

Violet was casually strolling down the halls of Hogwarts when she passed Hagrid.

He stopped her. "Now, what's up with  _you_? Everybody seems so miserable lately."

Violet sighed, knowing that all of the teachers knew her real identity. "I was just thinking about you, actually. I just… I'm sorry. I know I've never done anything to harm you, but I'm sorry. For having thought that people like you were scum. I'd also like to say that I don't think that any more. You're a brilliant man and a wonderful teacher, Rubeus."

The half-giant place his heavy hand on her shoulder. "Now don't you worry about a thing, Bel- Violet. Ye've never hurt me. I can only wish that more people, like that rotten Umbridge, could come around and change fer the better. Friends?"

She smiled. "Friends."

* * *

On Halloween night, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed down to Hagrid's cabin for tea and to break their teeth on rock cakes.

Professor Mills was on her way down to Hagrid's cabin, simply for a chat with the large man. She had just reached the hut when she heard a woman's screams from inside the Forbidden Forest. Forgetting the tea with her friend, she took off towards the forest, drawing her wand.

Through the open window, the Golden Trio and Hagrid also heard the screams. All four quickly made their way into the forest, spotting the new Professor and following her.

Together, the five reached a circular clearing just as the screaming stopped. Violet stepped up to a tree and inspected it, moving onto the next and continued around the circle. Everyone watched her curiously.

Suddenly, two thin branches extending from the mid-trunk of the nearest tree wrapped around Violet's neck as if they were hands, lifting her from the ground. The screaming started again, coming from a wide hole in the thin tree-trunk.

"Please…" Violet choked out. "Stop… I can… release you." She pointed her wand into the bark of the tree, rasping something in Latin that none of the others understood.

The tree began to twist and turn, widening and thinning, morphing finally into the shape of a young witch with bright blue eyes, pale skin and pale blonde hair.

The young woman managed to smile and snarl at the same time, a hand still wrapped around Violet's throat.

"Congratulations." Her voice was high-pitched and sinister, and Hermione slowly and quietly drew her wand. "You have freed me from my prison."

"Prison?" Violet croaked.

The woman nodded. "I have been imprisoned in that tree for as long as I can remember, for thousands and thousands of years, as punishment. Once every thousandth Halloween I may scream for my release. This is it, and now I shall search for and kill every wizard with the blood of the family that imprisoned me. The Blacks.

Violet's eyes widened.

"Do you know where I might find them, dearie?" Her hand loosened just slightly around the throat she was holding.

"They died out. Not a single one of them remains. I was there at the death of their last."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

Harry went to speak but Hermione glared at him, telling him that their Potions Master could handle it.

"Are you  _sure_? Because only the Blacks know the spells to my release and imprisonment, passed down through generations, spells that were created by the Blacks."

"Those spells are in books now. Dark Magic books. I learnt them there."

The young witch released Violet's throat and pulled a wand from her sleeve, beginning a duel with her. Hermione could tell that several thousand years of imprisonment had her only a little bit rusty, however she was on par with Violet.

' _Violet said I duel as well as her…'_  As soon as the thought passed through her mind, Hermione jumped into the fight.

"What are you doing?" Violet asked, worry heavily laced in her tone.

"Helping! I'll duel, you trap her again!"

"I won't be able to, you need several people who know it!"

Both witches were suddenly flung back, their backs colliding with tree trunks.

The young – old? – witch took off deeper into the Forbidden Forest, stopping in her tracks when Hagrid walked towards her with the largest Acromantula following. Aragog.

As soon as the woman saw it, she began throwing spells his way.

He began to retreat, his old age lowering his ability to defend himself. The spiders behind him instantly began to advance on her. Hermione could see that she was hesitating. She knew that the woman could never defend herself against so many Acromantula.

Hermione stood up, helping Violet up from the ground, and walked over to Harry and Ron, who were closer to the scene. Ron was cowering behind Hagrid, his hands clutching at the bottom of Hagrid's jacket like a scared child. She felt a hand wrap around her arm in fear, and looked to her left to see Miss Mills, her eyes wide with fright.

She placed a comforting hand on the top of the older woman's.

"Guys…" Harry spoke up. They all looked towards him. "I think we should go…"

Ron instantly turned and headed for the edge of the forest, eager to get away from the larger-than-life spiders. The other four turned too, heading for the edge at a slower pace. Violet did not loosen her grip on Hermione's arm.

"We need to find out who that was." Hermione turned to Violet. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "I know who she was."

They all turned to look at her. "Who?"

"Ibsen. Priscilla Ibsen. Imprisoned for heinous crimes against humanity. Trapped by the Black family thousands of years ago."

"Ibsen? He was a playwrite." Hermione muttered.

"And a direct descendant of her sister."

"Let's be getting ye back up to the castle before we go on about her. Miss Mills doesn't look all that well, so I'll walk ye up."

Just a few minutes later, they were all stood in Dumbledore's office, Violet not having let go of Hermione or having uttered a word since before they'd left the forest.

After retelling the tale of what had happened, everyone was dismissed from Dumbledore's office and, after Violet still refused to let go of Hermione, the student was instructed to take Miss Mills to her chambers.

Once Violet reached the familiar door to her quarters, she started to relax and loosen her grip on Hermione. She let the young woman sit her on her sofa and pour her a drink, before insisting on Hermione sitting down next to her.

"I… Hermione I'm scared."

"You're alright, the Acromantula probably took her."

"She was an extremely powerful witch, Hermione, who knows if she's dead or not. And if she escapes the spiders, she'll come after me. She's already on the grounds."

"But you're not a Black…"

"She knows that I could trap her again by teaching you three the spell. She's under the impression I'm the only person alive who knows those spells. She'll want me dead."

"Why did you protect the Blacks like that? I would have let her go after them."

"Don't say that. Andromeda is an absolute sweetheart, Narcissa just wants to protect her son and Bellatrix… Bellatrix just needs help."

Hermione scoffed. "She's completely deranged, she could never change, no matter how much help she got."

"And yet you dream about a family life with her." Her teacher's tone was cold. "I think you should go, students aren't even supposed to be near a teacher's rooms, especially not so late at night. People might get the wrong idea."

' _Two people already have.'_  Hermione thought.

"You're right. I'll see you in Potions."

The teacher nodded and walked Hermione to the door.

"Oh, and don't be scared. Hogwarts is safe, even if she is already on the grounds." Hermione wrapped her arms quickly around the shorter woman, and that's when she smelt it.

Cinnamon.

She pulled away. "I've got to go. See you Monday."

She hurried off, blushing, towards the Gryffindor dorms.

' _I can't feel like that about a teacher! I mean, you can't deny that she's attractive, beautiful even, for her age. I mean, she's downright gorgeous. She's far too old for me anyway, any type of relationship with her would be completely frowned upon._ '

Hermione's sleep was restless that night. Her dreams seemed to be repeating themselves.

* * *

" _Happy Birthday, Mione." Bellatrix said, pulling her wife into a hug and then down onto the sofa, handing her a small box._

" _Thank you, sweetie." Hermione eagerly opened the box, finding a simple white gold bracelet with red, black and emerald stones embedded sparingly and in a simple pattern around the bracelet. "Oh, Bella, it's beautiful, thank you!"_

_Her wife leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."_

" _I love you too, Bella."_

* * *

" _Merry Christmas, Mione." Bellatrix said, pulling her wife into a hug and then down onto the sofa, handing her a small box._

" _Thank you, sweetie." Hermione eagerly opened the box, finding a simple white gold bracelet with red, black and emerald stones embedded sparingly and in a simple pattern around the bracelet. "Oh, Bella, it's beautiful, thank you!"_

_Her wife leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mione."_

" _I love you too." Hermione leant in and pressed her lips to Bella's softly._


	7. Chapter 7

"Guys, I've got some bad news." Ron said, sitting down to breakfast one morning. "Next week, when the Christmas holidays start, my family's going on holiday. I have to go too, you guys won't be able to stay at the Burrow for Christmas."

Hermione sighed. "My parents are out of the country this Christmas." She looked to Harry. "Guess we're staying here."

That weekend, on the Sunday, Hogwarts was emptied of their students. The only three left behind were Harry, Hermione and Draco.

Christmas Day was that coming Wednesday, and Hermione had already bought and sent everyone their presents, with the exception of Harry and a few teachers, whose presents would be given on Christmas Day.

Christmas dinner was fun, albeit uneventful. She had given her teachers their gifts, with the exception of Miss Mills.

Hermione sought out the Potions Master and found her in the library.

"I have a present for you." She smiled, sitting down next to Violet on the small sofa, holding out a long, thin rectangular box.

Violet opened it and gasped slightly. "It's gorgeous, I love it. I'm going to wear it all the time."

Hermione frowned on the inside, wondering where she'd heard those words before.  _'Of course, my dream! But then how…'_  She shook her head, ridding herself of the train of thought. "Turn around, I'll put it on you."

From the box, Hermione pulled out a thin silver chain. The charm was a small vertical rectangle made of three square jewels; Ruby at the top, Obsidian in the centre, followed by Emerald.

Violet turned away from Hermione, letting the student bring the necklace by her neck before lifting her huge mass of hair so that Hermione could fasten it. The jewellery fell perfectly in the valley of her cleavage.

"It's gorgeous, really. It can be a Christmas  _and_  Birthday present."

"Birthday?" Hermione cocked her head.

Violet smiled. "New Years' Day." She pulled a gift out from under her half of the sofa. "This is for you. I promise it's not expensive this time."

She handed the package to Hermione and the younger woman tore it open. " _Madame Bovary_  by Gustave Flaubert! How did you know I wanted this?"

"In our last Occlumency lesson, I snuck a peak at any thoughts on books you wanted."

Hermione smiled. "Wait… A book… You're not trying to get me to drink are you? Just to see what kind of drunk I am?"

Violet laughed. "Of course not. Although now that you mention it…" They both laughed at this.

Then pair chatted for a few hours, about books and various other things.

"It's getting late. I should escort you to Gryffindor tower, if only so that Peeves doesn't do anything, he's at his worst at Christmas."

They stood and continued to chat all the way to the dorms. They stopped just before reaching the painting. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, letting her head roll back. She opened them and they widened slightly in shock. Her teacher saw this, and looked up to see Mistletoe extending its way down to them.

The two looked at each other nervously.

Hermione started to spew facts nervously. "You know, the Viking god Baldur, according to Nordic myths, was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. Thankfully, Baldur was later brought back to life and decided to reform the mistletoe, making it a plant of life instead of death... as long as it never touched the ground. That's why people… kiss… underneath it."

"Hermione, I'd like to kiss you. However, as your teacher, I should not make the first move."

Hermione blushed and gulped, taking a step closer and leaning into the older but slightly shorter woman. She closed her eyes as their lips touched. They kissed softly, gently, Hermione placing her hand on Violet's cheek. Suddenly, Violet pulled away, clutching her left arm in pain.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go and find Severus. I'm sorry." Her eyes spoke of true regret at having to leave. "I might need to leave for the week, so I'll see you at the New Years' party."

She ran off in the direction of Snape's classroom and office, and as she turned a corner, Hermione put a finger against her lips.

' _They felt like the lips in my dream…'_  She shook her head, heading into the Gryffindor common room and straight to bed.

LINE BREAK

Violet sat patiently at the desk of Severus Snape. He walked briskly into the room and stopped when he saw her sitting in a chair.

"Bellatrix… What are you doing here?"

"Severus… Please… I need your help."

"And why should I help you?"

"Severus, I need you to help me fake my death. We can use the Draught of Living Death, and you can reverse it with Wiggenweld."

"Once again… Why?"

"The Dark Lord can pick and choose who he calls, and he's always calling me. If he thinks I'm dead he won't call me anymore. I think people are starting to get suspicious that we both get pains in the same arms at the same time." Snape just stared at her, an eyebrow raised. "Severus, please. I will owe you my life for this. I will do anything for you in return. I will beg and grovel at your feet." She slid off the chair and onto her knees. "Please, Severus."

He swept away from her, towards his personal store cupboard. "I will brew the Draught in the morning. Be ready to leave for Diagon Alley in just a few hours. You'll need to dress as yourself. We'll get you a fake wand to be snapped and I will make special preparations for your 'burial'. I suggest you do not tell Narcissa, as she will be questioned by the Ministry and by the Dark Lord. It is better if she thinks you are dead. I'll have you dug up the night after the 'burial'."

"Can I trust you to have me dug up?" She asked cautiously, standing.

He turned to her. "Yes. You owe me your life now, and I shan't simply leave you there to starve and rot. You're going to repay me one day, which you cannot do if you're in a coffin."

Bellatrix nodded. "Thank you, again." She left, heading up to her rooms to prepare herself for her 'death' in the early morning.

Hermione had just finished her breakfast on Boxing Day when her owl, Dickens, dropped off a copy of the Daily Prophet. The headline read: BELLATRIX BLACK FOUND DEAD.

She put her pumpkin juice down. Opposite her, Harry could see the cogs in her head turning.

"What's on your mind?"

Hermione grabbed the newspaper and stood. "Library. See you later." She ran out of the Great Hall.

Entering the library, she headed straight for the section containing the Hogwarts Yearbooks. She scanned them quickly, looking for the right year. She found it and opened it to the 'B' section.

"Black… Black…" She muttered to herself. "Bellatrix Black! Born… January first, 1951…"

She leant back against the bookshelf behind her as though defeated. "It's her. She's in Hogwarts…"  _'That's why she was so scared of that Ibsen woman… Why she keeps grabbing her arm in pain…'_  Hermione gagged.  _'I kissed her. Oh, God, I kissed Bellatrix Black…'_

She replaced the book and ran out of the library, heading back into the Great Hall and seeing the lack of 'Violet Mills' at the head table.  _'Oh God, she's dead…'_ She ran up to the table. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, I need to speak with you. In private."

A minute later, she found herself in Dumbledore's office. He looked at her expectantly.

"Bellatrix Lest- Black is in Hogwarts. Or was, she's dead now. I just needed to know if you knew she was here."

He took his time choosing a lemon drop before forgetting about them and looking up from his seat at Hermione. "Of course I knew she was here. I employed her."

"But why, sir?"

"Bellatrix Black has changed for the better."

Hermione couldn't help but believe him. "You mean had. She's dead now."

"Oh, no she isn't. Severus has informed me that he is helping her to fake her death. It will stop Voldemort from coming after her. Miss Black is trying to turn her life around, Miss Granger. I know for a fact that you quite enjoy the company of 'Miss Mills'." Hermione blushed slightly. "Bellatrix is the same person. I'm sure you can get over that."

"She's killed so many people though!"

"And now she has had a change of heart."

"Did she tell you what changed her? How do you know she isn't just here to spy on you?"

"I have seen into her mind, Miss Granger. I will not disclose what caused this change, but I can guarantee that she is no spy." Hermione suddenly felt a prodding and poking feeling in the back of her mind, and forced the Headmaster's probing mind out. "Occlumency? Very impressive, she taught you that, I suppose?"

Hermione stared at her feet.

"I thought she might have. You laugh with her, do you not? You've bought each other gifts and jewellery?" Hermione didn't look up from her feet. "She'll be back for New Years'. Don't worry about her." Dumbledore put his hand on her shoulder. "She's safe."

Hermione nodded and excused herself. She spent most of the rest of the week in her bedroom, only coming out for breakfast and dinner. She would sit, playing with her bracelet or simply cuddling her book, worried about the older witch.

' _Dumbledore is right.'_  She told herself one night, clutching the book in her arms.  _'She's a brilliant witch, she can take care of herself, not to mention Snape is helping her.'_

LINE BREAK

The students had returned the night before and Hermione was awoken by Romilda in the early evening of New Years' Eve. She bathed and got out the simple red dress she'd brought with her for special occasions such as this one. It was a figure-hugging dress that just reached her knees. It was in a deep red and had a thin black belt to wrap around her waist. She let her hair hang down, and it stopped just past her shoulders.

She put on some natural make up and slipped on some small black heels. Tonight, Hermione was going to make an impression. She was going to prove to the Slytherins that a Muggle-born could be sexy.

She made sure to be late. She gave the doors to the Great Hall a pull and they opened in front of her. Everyone turned to look at the late arrival. Hermione smirked, seeing boys jaws drop, and walked over to the table Harry and Ron were at.

"Hermione… You look… Fabulous!" Harry said, pulling his friend into a hug.

Over the night, Hermione made sure to accept the dance requests of at least a few boys. When the evening began to draw to a close and midnight was just a few minutes away.

She purposefully walked over to the refreshments table after spotting Violet there in a beautiful black gown that  _just_  touched the floor. There was a split up one side, nearly reaching her hip. Hermione stepped up behind her.

"I like your dress. You look beautiful."

The teacher blushed. "Thank you, you look stunning. You've made a big impression."

"I see you've covered your Dark Mark with a glamour, Bella." Hermione whispered in her ear.

Violet turned on her heel to face the student, her eyes wide. "How…"

"You made the mistake of telling me your birthday, you often grab your left arm in pain – where the Dark Mark is. You disappeared the night Rodolphus was killed. You've been gone this past week." Hermione laughed a little. "You made it so easy."

"Please, Hermione, you can't tell anyone."

"Really, why not? I might just head over there and tell Neville that the woman who tortured his parents is in this very room. I might go and tell Harry that the woman who killed Sirius is his Potions Master."

"I didn't kill Sirius!" Violet said in a heated whisper. "I stunned him! I never meant for him to fall through that veil!"

Hermione pretended she'd never said anything, occupying herself with inspecting the snack choices. "Dumbledore seems to be under the impression that you've changed. I don't believe him."

The heated whisper made a reappearance. "You're the one that wants to marry me and have a son with me!"

"Prove to me that you've changed."

"How?"

Hermione turned to her. "You know how."

Violet suddenly felt a prodding in her mind and shook her head. "No. No, I can't let you in. I can't."

"Then how am I supposed to trust you?"

"Hermione, I'm sorry, but I can't. I can't let you see my mind."

"Then you haven't changed."

"Hermione, listen to me." She put her hand on the younger witch's arm. "I wish that I could pursue a relationship with you, but I am your teacher. Nothing can happen between us. I'm sorry, but it can't. Not to mention that I'm nearly thirty years older than you!"

Hermione turned and stormed out of the Great Hall, sitting down on a bench and letting her head roll back against the wall.

' _How did I manage to go from accusatory to 'maybe if I could trust you I could really love you' just now?'_

She heard the students and teachers inside begin counting down from twenty.

Inside, Bellatrix was conflicted. She couldn't let Hermione in, could she? Everyone she'd ever let in had left her or hurt her. Would Hermione be the same? Around her, the students and teachers began counting down from twenty.

When they hit ' _ten_ ' she turned and walked briskly towards the door, pushing past students hurriedly. At  _'five'_  she reached the doors, spotting Hermione sitting on a step.

She rushed over and as they heard a  _'one'_  followed by cheering, she pressed her lips against the student's. She let down every mental wall she'd ever put up and placed her hands on Hermione's cheeks, letting every memory and thought and  _dream_  flow into Hermione's mind.

The cheering began to quiet and they pulled apart, Hermione resting her head against Violet – no – Bella's.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered, standing and pulling Bellatrix into a tight hug. "Thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, well." The hugging pair heard a familiar old man's voice. "It seems that my assumptions were, indeed, correct."

Bellatrix sighed. "I'll pack my bags in the morning, Headmaster."

"You certainly shall not!"

Both Hermione and Bellatrix looked over at him, confused. Hermione's arms were still loosely wrapped around Bella's neck.

"Why should I fire you? Hermione is of age, you're both mature witches. You'll know how to keep school life and personal life separate." He turned to go. "Oh and by the way, Miss Black… Happy Birthday." He strolled back into the Great Hall, reaching into his pocket to pull out a Sherbet Lemon.

The two looked at each other again, smiling. Hermione spoke first. "Why don't you get rid of the glamour? I'd like to see the real you."

"In private." Bellatrix pulled Hermione towards the nearest girls' bathroom, stripping of the glamour once they were inside. Hermione smiled again.

"Can I… kiss you again?" Her teacher blushed and nodded as Hermione stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Bella's waist. They kissed for the third time, although to Hermione it seemed like their first now that Bella was Bella again.

* * *

"Hermione! Hermione!" Bellatrix practically ran into the Library, rushing towards the back, hearing a harsh "shush" from Madam Pince. She pulled Hermione off of the sofa and into a hug as soon as she reached her. "Hermione, you're brilliant!"

"Okay… What have I done this time?" She hugged the older woman back.

"Your potion! It's brilliant!"

She pulled out of the hug. "Why, what does it do?"

"Look at me! Really look at me!"

Hermione stepped back to take in the woman she liked to kiss, watching as she slipped away the glamour for just a moment, quickly restoring it.

"You look… Normal? No… You're… Younger… How are you younger?"

"I never thought finding the Fountain of Youth would be as simple as messing up a potion!"

"The… The Fountain of Youth?" Bellatrix nodded eagerly.

"Your potion! Severus and I have been testing it constantly on things like rats, and we noticed that our eldest rat went from Granddad to baby after just a few weeks dosage! Over the past two weeks Severus has given me the same dosage, and I look ten years younger!" She leant into Hermione to whisper in her ear. "Under the glamour, of course."

At this point, Madam Pince had had enough. "Be quiet or get out!" She whispered harshly at them. The pair made their way out of the library and continued their conversation in the corridor.

"Are you trying to tell me that I created a potion for the Fountain of Youth?"

Bella nodded eagerly. "I could kiss you right now, if we weren't in a public hallway!"

"Well…" Hermione started. "There's not exactly anyone around, and it  _is_  Valentine's Day a week today, on Friday."

"Well, I've got something really nice planned for Friday, so you'll have to wait." She smiled at the younger woman. Hermione blushed. "I'll see you in Potions tomorrow?" She said as they reached the Great Hall. Hermione nodded.

Bellatrix looked around cautiously, quickly leaning in and placing a kiss on Hermione's cheek. She walked in, leaving Hermione stood there smiling like an idiot.

"I saw that." Harry said as she sat down.

"Saw what?"

"She kissed you on the cheek. You lied to us, you said nothing was going on with you two!"

"And it wasn't then!"

"And it shouldn't now!" Ron was not involved in this conversation, he was busy talking to his girlfriend.

"What do you care, Harry? What is so bad about me being in a relationship with a fantastic woman? Tell me that, now."

He lowered his voice. "The problem is that she's a teacher."

"She's a teacher from seven in the morning until four in the afternoon, after that she's a normal human being. Teachers aren't all that different from us, you know. We're all people."

"Not to mention the fact that you're both girls!" Ron chimed in at last.

"And what on earth could possibly be wrong with that, Ronald?" Hermione lashed out at him.

"I have to say, Ron, that shouldn't matter."

"Look, both of you, it shouldn't matter that I'm with her or that she's a teacher or a woman. Dumbledore trusts us not to screw this up."

"You've got Dumbledore's… Blessing? To go out with her?"

"Yes. She kissed me at midnight on New Years' Eve and he saw it. He said that he thinks we can handle separating our school and personal lives. He trusts us, and you should too."

"But Hermione-"

"Don't think I don't know about  _your_  secret little trysts, Harry James Potter."

"What? How do you know about that?"

"So it's true then?" Harry turned a bright shade of red. "Thought so. Rumours always have  _some_  truth in them." Hermione glanced over Harry's shoulder to spot Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table, not taking his eyes off of the back of Harry's head. Harry turned and smiled a little, causing the Slytherin to smile back.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as Harry turned back. "So I like him! He's nice when he's not being a prat."

"Ron's relationship is the most normal out of the three of us, but we are all happy in said relationships, so you get over the fact that I'm with her, and I'll get over the fact that you're with him."

At this, a small note poofed onto the table in front of Harry. He unfolded it.

' _Give her crap about it again and you'll get a T in Potions.'_

Harry swallowed and put it down, nodding his head. "I'm sorry. I'm glad that you're happy, Hermione."

Hermione looked up to 'Violet', smiling. "Not to mention the fact she'll be able to help us defeat Voldemort."

"What? How?" Hermione watched as Violet nodded at her.

"I'll tell you later, in private. You'll freak out, but you need to trust me, you need to trust us both, okay?"

Harry nodded.

* * *

At dinner on Thursday the 13th, Hermione found a note already tucked under her plate.

' _Dinner in my quarters tomorrow, 8pm, no later. B x'_

Hermione smiled and tucked it into her pocket.

The next evening, Hermione dressed up in the same red dress she'd worn for New Years'. Luckily, she wasn't the only one dressing up for dinner. She waited until everyone else from the Gryffindor tower had left, before heading quickly towards the teacher's dorms.

Bella's door was already open a crack, so Hermione slipped inside and closed it, noticing that the light in the room was substantially dimmer than out in the Hallway. She turned from the door and saw a small, candle-lit table.

She put her hand on her chest and smiled widely, looking around the room for Bella. She noticed her head poking around the door of the bedroom.

"I uh… I've never really done the 'date' thing before, so I hope you don't mind that I went all out?"

Hermione shook her head. "This looks beautiful. Come on out?"

Bellatrix bit her bottom lip and blushed, stepping out in another gorgeous black gown, completely different to the one from New Years'.

"I feel underdressed now! You've already seen this!" Hermione laughed.

Bella stepped towards her and pulled a chair out, gesturing for Hermione to sit. She did so, but not before gently kissing the older woman.

"I haven't had house elves cook this, I went down there and cooked it myself. They'll send it up for me though." Bellatrix snapped her fingers and food appeared on their two plates. "Wine?" She smirked.

"Only if you promise not to get me drunk, I see no books!"

They laughed together and a dark red wine filled up their glasses.

"Tonight has been wonderful, Bella, really. I'm very impressed." Hermione said as they sat on the small sofa, candles significantly shorter and Bella on her second glass of wine.

"Well, I wouldn't expect something like this all that often, okay?" She smiled at the younger witch.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione turned to Bella, setting her half-empty first glass of wine on the table in front of them.

"But of course." Bella mimicked her actions.

"Can I… Can I call you my… girlfriend?" Hermione blushed.

Bellatrix smiled widely. "Of course. Of course you can." She pulled her into a soft kiss, her hand on Hermione's cheek. She pulled away. "Do you listen to Florence and the Machine?"

Hermione frowned at the sudden change of topic. "Yes, why?"

"A lot of her lyrics they, they relate to seemingly everything. There's a few swirling around in my head right now."

"Which ones?"

"' _Would you leave me, if I told you what I've done? And would you leave me, if I told you what I'd become? Cause it's so easy, to say it to a crowd but it's so hard, my love, to say it to you out loud.'_ "

Hermione took Bella's hands in hers. "I know of the things you've done. I know all of it. You showed me. But I'm looking past that. You let me into your mind and I've seen all of the bad things that have happened to you. Those things are what made you do bad things. That's how it works. But you've changed now, Bella. You've changed for the better, and you're going to help us bring down Voldemort. I'm looking past your previous faults and looking at you now, and all I see is a beautiful, hurt woman. I can tell that you need someone, anyone, to help you, and I'll happily be that someone."

She saw Bellatrix's eyes glaze over with tears and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Shake it out." Hermione heard Bella laugh into her shoulder at her words.

The older witch pulled out of Hermione's arms and leant in to kiss her.

Just as Bellatrix swiped her tongue over Hermione's lip, there was a harsh knock on the door and someone stormed in. They pulled away to see Severus standing there.

"What on earth do you two think you are doing?" Bella opened her mouth to explain, but he held up his hand to stop her. "Never mind, I don't want to know. There's a problem with Hermione's potion. You need to come with me right now."

"Why, what's happened?"

"You just need to see the rat. I've already made an antidote, but I want you to see him first." He grabbed Bellatrix by the arm, barely giving her time to replace her glamour before he pulled her out of the door, Hermione following closely behind.


	9. Chapter 9

"What a way to end our Valentines date," Hermione sighed, slumped on the sofa in Ms Mills' chamber while the other woman rattled about making some sort of potion - or it might have been tea. From the smell, Hermione wasn't sure. "A dead mouse."

"A very very shrivelled, old, wrinkly dead mouse."

"Bella, I think you're going to be fine," Hermione said quietly. "Mice are tiny, and you've been on the same dosage as it - you're an adult human witch. Naturally you'll react to it differently, and I don't think it's going to kill you like it did Mouse Senior."

"But I can't take that risk, Hermione. I'm not about to allow myself to be found dead at my desk looking like I've already been decomposing for a week."

Hermione stood, hearing pots and pans clashing and spoons scraping and ingredients spilling. She made her way over, standing behind Bellatrix, and took gentle hold of her forearms. She slowed them to a halt, and then brought them to Bella's chest, so that Hermione was holding her from behind.

"Either way," She began gently, "You can't work like this. So stressed, so on edge - let the answer come to you naturally, don't force it. Now, close your eyes."

Bellatrix hesitated, but then did as instructed. "I want you to think about all of the ingredients I used in the original potion. I want you to think about the method I used. I know you remember the exact process." Hermione cleared her mind at the same time, hoping they could find the answer together. It came to her, very slowly.

Bellatrix nodded, taking deep breaths and leaning back into Hermione's hold. "You started with-"

"Don't say it out loud," Hermione interrupted. "Think it. Recall it. Tell me what you know is important."

"Lacewing flies," Bellatrix mumbled, as if she was falling asleep. "Necessary in polyjuice. They're what allow features to change, retain elasticity."

"And..." Hermione prompted. "Polyjuice allows you to look like anyone, anyone at all, older or younger. What's the only thing in polyjuice that's not in my potion?" She whispered.

Bella's eyes snapped open and she turned in Hermione's arms, a new hope shining in her eyes. "Fluxweed! To alter the body's clock so one reacts correctly to an old man's broken hip or a young child's energy! Oh, Hermione, I could kiss you. In fact, I will," She smiled, pulling her girlfriend closer.

Hermione laughed into it, one hand holding gently to the back of Bellatrix's neck. "You're very, very welcome," She smiled as they parted. "But, it's getting late. I'm going to go get some sleep. Make sure you do the same, okay?"

The teacher nodded.

* * *

The next morning, at breakfast, Miss Mills looked extraordinarily normal - to everyone else. Hermione, however, could see a glint in her eye that told her the Potions Master was progressing well with her altering of Hermione's potion, as well as that she'd gotten some sleep.

They didn't have classes together that day, but they continued to share glances, and met in the library after dinner.

"How are things?" Hermione asked quietly, not wanting to anger Madam Pince.

"Slow but steady," Violet nodded, taking hold of Hermione's hand (out of sight of other students or staff). "But that's what wins the race. Finding out where and when to add fluxweed is going to be an extensive process - it means making dozens of potions and adding it at different stages. I'm going to lose so much time, but it'll be worth it. The only other risk is that if something goes wrong, I could lose my perfectly formed eyebrows, and we wouldn't want that."

"Definitely not," Hermione chucked quietly. "They're one of your defining features."

"How many others do I have, then?"

"Oh, I don't know... ten billion?"

They both smiled at each other, feeling incredibly at ease in their company.

"I'd like for you to come over tonight, Hermione. So we can finish our date."

"I'd love to."

Violet nodded. "Then I'll see you at nine thirty - for now I have to collect ingredients from the forest," she smiled, looking around and then kissing Hermione's cheek so quickly the latter wasn't sure it had actually happened. Before she knew it, Miss Mills was strolling from the library.

She wrapped her coat tighter around her as she reached the tree line, and gave a wave to Hagrid, who was sitting on the steps of his cottage smoking his pipe with Fang by his side.

"Need a hand?" He asked, in his thick west country accent.

"I'm good, thanks!" She called back, giving a smile.

"Well, flare if you need me!"

She disappeared into the dark and cold forest, and removed her glamour, feeling free from the restraints of the school.

Her Dark Mark may not burn any more, but that didn't mean she was no longer a Death Eater. Once you were pledged, there was no way out. That meant she retained her Death Eater powers; her smoky black version of apparation. And when it came to that very specific type of apparation, it was one that could not push you through the wards that coated Hogwarts.

It was, however, one you could use freely in the grounds. Dumbledore had never expected genuinely evil death eaters to make their way inside the wards, so he never bothered to ward against such a thing inside - not to mention, Snape needed to be able to freely come and go when Voldemort called and dismissed him, without raising suspicions. His only way to do that, was to apparate.

He'd pummel in a plume of smoke towards the Weeping Willow, through it's passageway, and once he felt the familiar wards wash over him, he'd apparate fully away. To return, apparate into the Shrieking Shack and head back through the passage into the grounds.

Not that he told Voldemort any of that, oh no. That would be far too easy. Voldemort was under the impression  _all_  teachers could apparate in and out of Hogwarts as they wished.

And so it was that Bella found herself seeking that flying feeling, the free feeling, of being a cloud of smoke, able to move with the wind.

So she turned on the spot, began to practically fly through the trees, skilfully avoiding slamming into them - it still hurt, even as smoke. She twisted and turned around the trunks, then flew higher, allowing herself to breach the surface of the leaves and becoming herself again, balancing at the very top of a tree.

From there, she had a beautiful view of the castle. From there, she had a perfect view of Gryffindor tower. She could see a figure sitting in the window, and knew it was Hermione. Whenever she would collect ingredients, Hermione liked to keep watch for her safe return.

And then she felt a hand wrap tightly around her ankle.

* * *

Hermione knocked on Bella's chamber door at precisely half nine. she waited for a good ten minutes, wondering if her girlfriend was just in the bath, but when she still didnt get an answer after fifteen, she grew worried. She headed to the nearest forest-facing window. Hagrid was still sitting on the steps of his cottage, as he had been two hours ago.

He, too, felt a duty to any teachers who went into the forest alone; a duty to keep watch, to keep his ears open for trouble.

It was unusual for any teacher to be gone for such a long time, even if Miss Mills spend a while longer in there than most.

Hermione didn't want to just sit by and wait, she had to find out what had held Bellatrix up. She headed back to the dormitory, knowing Harry and Ron would still be sitting by the fire with sweets and homework, more focused on one than the other (three guesses which).

"Something's wrong, she's not back from the forest yet, and we had a meeting," she fretted to them, looking at Harry. "I need to borrow the cloak, I've got to go find her."

"Hermione," Harry shook his head. "That's dangerous - you can't go wandering into the forest alone, not at this time of night."

"Don't go all Professor Potter on me now, Harry - Hagrid's still up too, he's still sitting there, he knows something's wrong. I'd go in with him."

"Hermione-"

" _Harry_ , please. I can't lose her now," She whispered to him.

He stared at her for a moment, not wanting to let one of his best friends toddle off into danger, but knowing that she would go with or without the cloak - only one option was safer. "Fine. I'll get it - go put some warmer clothes on," He warned, standing and making his way to the dorm.

A few minutes later, Hagrid heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the castle, though he couldn't see anyone.

"Harry?" He whispered, wondering if it was him, hiding under his cloak.

"Hagrid," came Hermione's voice. "It's me. I'm worried."

He nodded slowly, finishing off his tea and standing up. "Keep yer wand out," he told her, picking up his crossbow and loading it. Fang whined at his side. "C'mon, yeh dozy dog," he sighed, nodding towards the forest.

"Yeh can take thar'off once we're in the trees, ain't nothin gonna hurt ye with me at yer side," Hagrid promised.

Once they knew they'd be out the sights of the castle, Hermione pulled the cloak off and stuffed it into one of Hagrid's ridiculously large pockets. Then they began their search.

* * *

"I knew I'd see you again," Priscilla Ibsen grinned cruelly. Her teeth were brown and disgusting; Bellatrix was surprised they hadn't all dropped out yet. They were worse than her own gnashers in Azkaban. Her clothes had been ripped, torn, and bloodied. The blood was a sickly yellow - from Acromantula.

When she'd grabbed Bellatrix by the ankle, she'd given her the fright of her life, causing her to fall and become tangled in the branches. The few-thousand-odd year old witch had then manipulated the tree, binding Bellatrix tighter and more effectively, her back pressed painfully against the rough bark.

"With you dead," she continued, " _No one_  can put me back. I may carry on as I once lived."


End file.
